1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for opening and shutting selectively in two directions a lid on an automobile console box or any other lid (inclusive of a door) rotatably disposed on an opening of a box body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus for opening and shutting the lid of an automobile console box selectively in two directions has been already disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 60-90042, for example.
The conventional apparatus, though not illustrated specifically herein, comprises supporting shafts of a circular cross section disposed laterally one each along the opposite sides of the edge of an opening of a box body and bearings of a C-shaped cross section disposed integrally along the corresponding edges of a lid and adapted to be detachably wrapped one each around the supporting shafts so that the opening of the box body can be completely shut with the lid by rotatably wrapping the bearings around the corresponding supporting shafts. The exposure of the opening of the box body is attained either by removing one of the bearings from the corresponding supporting shaft and rotating the lid about the other supporting shaft as a fulcrum or by removing the other bearing from the corresponding supporting shaft and rotating the lid about the other supporting shaft as a fulcrum, thereby revealing the opening of the box body suitably in either of the two directions.
In accordance with the conventional apparatus, therefore, the lid provided for the box boy can be opened and shut selectively in two directions by adopting the very simple construction having the supporting shafts of a circular cross section disposed on the box body side and the bearings of a C-shaped cross section disposed on the lid side.
However, the conventional apparatus thus constructed has a structural fault in that since one of the bearings subjected to an operation of shutting or opening the lid must be forcibly fastened around the corresponding supporting shaft or forcibly relieved of the fastened state and since the other bearing must be immoderately rotated around the corresponding supporting shaft in response to the aforementioned operation, when the opening and shutting motions are frequently repeated, the C-shaped cross sections of the bearings are radially expanded or deformed and eventually prevented from allowing smooth opening and shutting motions or infallibly producing a perfectly open or shut state.
In view of the problems of the conventional apparatus described above, the present inventor has already proposed a lid switching device in U.S. application Ser. No. 07/764,192 filed on Sep. 23, 1991.
The switching device has the concept of movably supporting a pair of operating members independently on the opposite lateral sides of a lid, disposing on the inner side of the lid a pair of rotary shafts capable of advancing or retreating under influence of resilient pressure of spring means, connecting the rotary shafts one each to the operating members, thereby urging the operating members outwardly from each other by the resilient pressure of the spring means, forming upright lock members integrally on the opposite side edges of an opening of a box body so as to detachably fasten the rotary shafts thereto, and allowing the rotary shafts connected to the operating members to be severally unfastened from the corresponding lock members.
According to the switching device, therefore, the state of the box body closed with the lid is attained by setting the operating members, rotary shafts and spring means on the lid side and covering the opening of the box body with the lid and, as a result, enabling the rotary shafts connected to the operating members to be automatically fastened to the corresponding lock members on the box body side in consequence of the resilient pressure of the spring means. The selective release of the lid in the two directions from the box body is accomplished by pressing the operating member on the side to be opened inwardly against the resilient pressure exerted thereon, thereby enabling the rotary shaft connected to the operating member to be released from the corresponding lock member on the box body side and thereafter rotating the lid upwardly spontaneously around the rotary shaft still remaining fastened to the lock member and serving as a fulcrum of rotation.
Owing to the construction described above, the switching device always ensures production of an infallible opening or shutting operation with a click and a firmly opened or shut state. Even when the opening and shutting operations are frequently repeated, the switching device is free from the possibility of eventually ceasing to produce a smooth opening or shutting motion and an infallible opened or shut state as experienced with the aforementioned conventional apparatus.
In the switching device, however, since the upright lock members are integrally formed in advance on the edge of the opening of the box body, the lock member on the side to be opened is thrust out upwardly as raised from the edge of the opening of the box body when the lid is released in either of the two directions. Thus, the raised lock member has a fair possibility of impairing the attractiveness of appearance and seriously interfering with the insertion or extraction of an object into or from the box body.